But ozil is simply a very talented player, and like I said, for all the shit he gets for his stamina and incompatibility in some formations, he can still kick ass given proper support. He clearly didn't feel wanted. CR was pissed about him leaving, I'm sure others were too. Bale will do fine here but the question is, who is our creativity going to come from? Bale should not be replacing ozil, we need someone else of a similar moldBecause isco's decisiveness in the final third is very, very poor. He can score, sure, but his vision and decision making many times is poor

Marcelo is still training hard to be fit in time for the Spanish Cup final in six days time. The Brazilian full-back underwent a check-up on Wednesday which confirmed that he is on the mend. He could even make his comeback against Almería this weekend and play some part in the game, in order to build some confidence and be fit and ready for the final at Mestalla.

The Brazilian picked up a hamstring injury 10 days ago, but his recovery appears to be on track and he trained with the ball on the pitch at Valdebebas last Sunday, which means he is likely to return to team training between Thursday and Friday. Ancelotti would pick Marcelo ahead of Coentrao, but time will tell if the Italian fields the South American, who lacks the Portuguese's match fitness.

Looking ahead to Saturday's game, Carletto will be forced to make some changes, given that Xabi and Carvajal are both suspended. On the right, Nacho

Atlético de Madrid and Brazil left-back Filipe Luis believes it would be easier to play at the World Cup for Spain than it would be for Brazil. However, Luis seemed happy to have chosen to play for his country of birth despite the battle for a place in the World Cup squad.

When asked by ESPN Radio if it would be easier to play for Spain at the World Cup, the full-back said "yes" and added that "the Brazil national side would be more difficult for a player who has not been selected. Here in Spain there is Jordi Alba at Barcelona; Monreal at Arsenal and Alberto Moreno at Sevilla. On the right there is Azpilicueta, Arbeloa and Juanfran. But in Brazil there are at least ten left-backs and ten right-backs without looking too far further", he said.

The defender, who won the 2013 Confederations Cup with Brazil, is vying for one of the places in Felipe Scolari's squad. Daniel Alves, Maicon and Rafinha are the right-backs that have been used by Scolari, while Marcelo, Maxwell, Adriano and Filipe are the left-backs to have featured most. The left-back who plays for 'Los Rojiblancos' believes "Marcelo is the best left-back in the world for me. I learnt loads just by watching him train".

Marcelo Vieira da Silva was born on 12 May 1988 in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) and has been at Real Madrid for eight seasons. He has become one of the best left-backs in the world for the Whites and despite his young age he is one of the most experienced players in the squad. As a Madrid player he has taken part in 265 matches, in which he has scored 18 goals.

His Real Madrid debut was on 7 January 2007 against Deportivo at the Riazor, aged just 18. As a White he has won three Ligas, two Copas del Rey and two Supercopas de España. He is a regular in the Brazilian national side and before coming to the Spanish Liga he played for Fluminense.

"I wanted to quit football when I was 15. I wanted to go out with my mates; I was discovering life as a teenager. Luckily my granddad stopped me. He told me I had amazing ball control, but I didn't believe him", Marcelo reveals in a wide-ranging interview with 'Panenka' magazine.

"As a kid I dreamed of becoming a fireman like my dad. He's still a hero to me", notes the full-back, going on to admit that he struggled to believe in his own ability: "I found it hard to recognise that I had talent. I felt embarrassed being the centre of attention: I preferred to see a teammate score than score myself".